This invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting metal wipe damages of plane bearings which are used in rotary machines.
Burn-out of bearing metal leads to serious problems especially in large-sized steam turbine generators rotating at high speed. Therefore, it is highly desirable to detect, in plane bearings metal wipe damages caused by, for example axial vibration, rubbing when the generators are in operation.
In, for example, "Instrumentation Technology", September, 1977, pp 59-60, a popular detection method is proposed wherein a temperature of bearings is monitored; however, a disadvantage of this proposed method resides in the fact that the detection is effected only after an enlargement of the metal wipe. Accordingly, it is very difficult to detect the metal wipe damages in an initial stage before the rubbing occurs.